Knee Pain

Questions to ask:
Date of Injury
Mechanism of Injury
Able to walk or continue activity immediately after injury
Able to walk or bear weight since injury
Effusion/Bruising
Mechanical symptoms
1st Injury?
To evaluate on PE:
Inspection/Palpation: obvious deformity, joint line tenderness,effusion
ROM
Ligaments:Lachman
Menisci:McMurray
Patellofemoral assessment:VMO,Patellar grind
Gait
Ligaments:
ACL: Lachman’s 30 degree flexion
PCL: Posterior sag sign, Posterior drawer test
MCL:Valgus stress 30 degree flexion
LCL:Varus stress 30 degree flexion

Menisci:
Joint line tenderness:
tender medially:medical meniscus, tender laterally: lateral meniscus
McMurrays: pain/pop on extension means +
Lateral meniscus- IR tibia + valgus
Medical meniscus-ER tibia + varus


Patellofemoral:
Effusion
Crepitus
VMO tone
Patellar grind
“Theater sign”-pain with standing up
“circle sign”: pts point to knee and draw a circle around patella when asked where pain is
Xrays to order:
Bilateral AP weight bearing
Lateral
Merchants View


Knee Exam:
Always compare sides when examining!!
Lachmans: http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/emergency_medicine/756148-826792-1025.jpg
sensitivity 84% and specificity 93%
+:the tibia will feel unrestrained in forward movement
Suggests: ACL tear


Posterior Drawer Test: http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/26/3/471/F3.large.jpg
Clinician pushes in on tibia
+: if no discrete endpoint
suggests: PCL tear


Posterior Sag Sign: http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/sports_medicine/84611-90514-281.jpg
+:difference in contour
suggests: PCL tear

McMurray Test: http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/emergency_medicine/756148-826792-1028.jpg
sensitivity 53-59% and specificity 59-97%
+: pain/pop as you extend the externally rotated leg while applying varus stress
suggests: Medial Meniscus teat
+: pain/pop as you extend the internally rotated leg while applying valgus stress
suggests: Lateral Meniscus tear

Varus and Valgus Stress: : http://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/0901/afp20030901p907-f4.gif
+Valgus: if joint laxity/reproducible pain present
suggests: MCL(look for joint line tenderness)
+Varus: if joint laxity/reproducible pain present
suggests: LCL(look for joint line tenderness)

Patellar Grind Test: http://meded.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/knee_chondromalacia.jpg
Hold the patella in place with your hand and ask the patient to contract their quadriceps muscle
+: if you reproduce pain
suggests: patellofemoral pain syndrome

VMO tone: http://www.t-nation.com/img/photos/2008/08-067-training/image027.jpg
+: if poor tone
suggests: patellofemoral pain syndrome

Effusion: http://meded.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/extremities_right_knee_effusion.jpg
Ballotable Patella, milking of knee inferior to superior








This page has been edited 1 times. The last modification was made by - robinob robinob on Oct 27, 2010 3:58 pm